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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27555142">leave your hand on my cheek (and pull me in slowly)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/raspberryghoulaid/pseuds/raspberryghoulaid'>raspberryghoulaid</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>1990s, Bi!Reggie, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Comfort fic, First Kiss, Fluff, I just really love these two, Idiots in Love, Just a little bit of Angst, M/M, mostly comfort, pan!Luke, pre-death, unsaid emily reference be warned</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:41:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,469</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27555142</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/raspberryghoulaid/pseuds/raspberryghoulaid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>a look into the depth of Luke and Reggie's relationship through physical touch.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>274</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>leave your hand on my cheek (and pull me in slowly)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It starts off before the two are even officially together: Luke’s arm grazing Reggie’s as he reaches behind him for another guitar pick, or the gentle threading of the other boy’s fingers through Reggie’s hair during movie night, Reggie’s head in Luke’s lap as he fights off sleep and tries to unblur his eyes long enough to make it to the credits this time. He never does, and at the end of the day Luke always folds a blanket around the bassist, telling him to <em> go to sleep and I’ll be here in the morning. </em>He always keeps true to his words, and sometimes, if Reggie’s lucky, there’s donuts waiting for him as Luke tries to coax him out of his morning drowsiness and focus enough to start rehearsal. </p><p>On weekends, after a successful show, there’s an arm slung around his shoulders and a hand that rifles his hair, making Reggie shove the other boy mirthfully. <em> We did so good tonight, boys </em>; Luke’s eyes always seem to find his when he says it, the grin on his lips never fading. Alex brushes him off, the ever-humble son of a bitch, and Reggie just rolls his eyes at Luke’s childlike enthusiasm.</p><p>The first time Reggie realizes the context of Luke’s touches they’re in the studio, Reggie’s perched on top the piano, legs swinging haphazardly over the edge. Alex has left for the night, leaving just him and Luke left in the garage. Luke leans against the couch, legs propped up on the coffee table and pen fixed between his lips. He’d been working on the same song for a while now, always re-writing, always aggressively crossing over certain lines or ripping out pages. When Bobby had first asked him about it, Luke had snapped the notebook shut and let the conversation end there, offering up no further clarification. Now, however, Reggie approaches the subject carefully, his gaze drifting over to the other boy. </p><p>“Hey, Luke?” He hesitates before saying it, having run the scenarios over in his head for about twenty minutes now before finally mustering up the courage to speak. He doesn't want to provoke Luke the way Bobby had, even if it had been unintentional. </p><p>“Yea, Reg?” Luke replies without looking up, brows creasing with obvious concentration. </p><p>Reggie takes a deep breath. “What are you writing?” Luke’s movements stop, fingers curling tighter around the pen in his hand. “Luke, you know you can tell me anything.”</p><p>Luke sighs, folds his notebook shut before sliding it into his guitar case, and this is exactly what Reggie had feared. Luke is going to snap at him the way he’d snapped at Bobby. He's going to go home and Reggie will be left by himself and- “I know, Reg.” Luke says, pulling himself off of the couch and crossing the distance between the two. “This is just <em> different. </em>” </p><p>Reggie reaches out, grasps for the other boy’s hand like he’d done dozens of times before in times like these, when Luke just needed to be comforted in the way Reggie knows best. He knows Luke’s love language is physical touch, knows how much just the sensation of Reggie’s skin against his own can calm his bandmate down when he's spazzing out. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to deal with anything alone.” Reggie whispers, meeting Luke’s gaze. Luke’s eyes are intense, deep and dark and a beautiful shade of brown that makes Reggie feel fuzzy all over. </p><p>Luke smiles, taking a step forward so that he stands between Reggie’s outstretched legs. “I don’t know what I do without you, Reg.” He says softly, one hand rising up to rest on Reggie’s thigh. If the bassist had ever thought that Luke’s touches were even remotely platonic, he doesn’t now, his cheeks blossoming a bright red. It’s quiet for a couple of seconds, and when Reggie doesn’t protest, Luke’s hand moves further up his thigh, settling on his hip. “Can I-?”</p><p>“Yea.” Reggie nods, grabbing handfuls of the other boy’s tee in his hands and tugging him closer. Their lips meet halfway and Reggie’s body instantly melts at the touch. It’s clumsy and messy and nowhere near a superlative first kiss, but Reggie can’t even think of any other kiss he’s had that compares to this, the feeling of Luke’s lips against his and his bandmate’s fingers hooking through his belt loops, bringing him closer. When they break apart Reggie throws himself at Luke, burying his face in his shoulder. </p><p>“God, Reg,” Luke holds him tight, arms winding around his waist. “I’ve waited so long to do that.” He laughs, his breath skimming Reggie’s neck. When Reggie pulls back far enough to see the other boy’s face, Luke’s grinning, and he reaches up to cup Reggie’s face in his palms. “You’re so beautiful, baby.” </p><p><em> That’s new, </em> Reggie thinks, blushing. “What are we?” He blurts out, hating how much of an awkward teenager he sounds like just saying it. </p><p>“We can be whatever you want to be.” Luke responds, stroking Reggie’s cheek with his thumb. Reggie smiles, placing his hand atop Luke’s, and presses a kiss to the inside of the other boy’s palm.</p><p>“I think you should kiss me again.” He suggests, and Luke laughs, and <em>God</em>, Luke’s laughter isn’t a sound he thinks he’ll ever be able to get over. Luke leans in to capture his lips, and Reggie’s head spins, because now all of Luke’s touches are exclusively for him, all of Luke’s <em>love</em> is exclusively for him, and that is just too much for him to come to terms with. </p><p>After that night Luke’s touches become notably more frequent and much more meaningful. They become almost like rituals at certain points, such as the way Luke pulls Reggie into his lap as they work on a song together, his fingers absentmindedly tracing circles into Reggie’s hip as they swap melodies. When Luke writes a particularly exceptional lyric, or finishes a song as a whole, he pulls the other boy in for a kiss (Alex typically rolls his eyes and even gags dramatically). Movie nights become excuses for Luke to bundle the two of them in an especially oversized blanket and snuggle up against his boyfriend. He doesn’t pay much attention to the films they put on anymore, just watches how the colors on screen dance across Reggie’s skin and smiles at the other boy’s reactions (except when they decided to watch <em> The Lion King </em> and Reggie didn’t stop crying for almost a solid hour). </p><p>Luke is the big spoon, the pair of them often nestled together on the pullout couch in the studio. Reggie always falls asleep first, and Luke revels in the moments of tranquility, where the world around them stills and Luke only wants to exist in the bubble he and Reggie have created. In the morning they end up on opposite sides of the bed somehow, but Luke doesn’t waste a second in tugging the other boy back to him. <em> Good morning, baby, </em> he kisses Reggie’s forehead, fingers gliding under the hem of his boyfriend’s tee shirt and running along the bare skin reverently. Everything about Reggie is soft, soft skin, soft hair, soft lips- a stark contrast to Luke’s calloused fingers and rugged physique. </p><p>Goodbye hugs turn into goodbye kisses in the times they do have to be apart, and Alex calls them “sickeningly obsessed with each other”, but Luke can’t ever snap back at the blonde because deep down he knows he’s right; there is seldom that exists in Luke’s little world except for Reggie, barring the band and his music. Luke is always the last to break away, reminding himself he’s going to see his boyfriend again soon and he can survive a while without him (no matter hard it seems at times). He has never loved someone as whole-heartedly as he does his black-haired, browned eyed boy, and it’s a feeling he never wants to go away. </p><p><em>It’s about my mom</em>, Luke eventually tells Reggie late one night, when they just can’t seem to fall asleep and Luke is tired of keeping the secret from him. To Luke’s sheer relief and appreciation, Reggie doesn’t push the subject further, simply tucking his head into Luke’s shoulder and planting a tender kiss to his collarbone.</p><p>“I’m glad you told me,” Reggie murmurs. “I love you, Luke.” </p><p>Tears well in Luke’s eyes, but he manages to hold them there, clinging to the other boy tightly. “I love you, too, Reg.” He almost chokes over his words, presses his lips to Reggie’s temple and lets them linger there for a moment. He has Reggie and Reggie has him, each holding each other’s broken pieces together until they become one mosaic, and Luke thinks he can conquer the world if he had Reggie by his side.</p>
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